The Black Parade
by Sir Talen
Summary: Just a little alternate universe fanfic that popped into my head. I always thought it a little odd that Desslok never confronted the crew of the Yamato/Argo personally, until the very last episode.
Leader Desslok sat back on his throne, a glass of wine in his hand, and watched as the prisoners were marched into the chamber. The crew of the _Yamato_ , the tip of the thorn named "Earth" that had pricked the Gamilon Empire's side for far too many months, finally brought down low by Gamilon's corrosive atmosphere, their ship now a rotting wreck at the bottom of the Acidic Ocean. Too either side of these weary band his own officers lined the throne room, all chanting _Desslok, Desslok, Desslok!_

And it was good.

He raised his hand and the chanting ceased, leaving an echo reverberating through the chamber. "Kneel before Desslok," he ordered softly. His wasn't surprised when they failed to comply, but another gesture brought forth the guards, who persuaded the _Yamato's_ crew through shoves and a few strikes of their rifle butts to the backs of knees to bring them down.

He set his glass down on the arm of his throne and strode forward, stopping before the prisoner at the front of the parade, a surprisingly young man in an officer's heavy coat. "Captain Wildstar," he greeted. "Welcome to Gamilon. I've been so looking forward to meeting your crew."

Wildstar looked up at him though a shock of shaggy brown hair, a look of undisguised hatred in his eyes. "That's Acting Captain Wildstar. Captain Okita is the commander of the _Yamato_."

"Ah, yes. My physicians tell me that your captain is not a well man. Even if you had succeeded in reaching Iscandar, he wouldn't have made it back to Earth. Fortunately he was brought here instead. If you choose to be cooperative, I'm sure Gamilon's medical technology will be up to the task of putting back in good health."

"Even if I did, the Captain wouldn't want it. You're just going to shoot us all anyway, aren't you?"

"Shoot you?" Desslok let out a short, loud laugh. "Young man, I have no intention of shooting you. In fact, you and all of your crew are going to be sent back to Earth. You'll even be allowed to pilot your own ship, after we repair her and remove her weaponry of course."

The young man's defiance turned to confusion. "Why would you do that?"

"Why? To honor you of course. Your fight was hopeless. Even with the losses you inflicted on my fleet, the Gamilon Empire is made up of over five hundred worlds, and yours is only one. But yet against all the Empire's might your world sent a single ship, on a mission of desperation. For that bravery, however foolish, I admire you."

"But why not just destroy us?"

"Why?" Desslok paused for a moment, then kneeled down beside Wildstar, his voice dropping to an intimate whisper. He gestured to General Lysis, who stood to one side of the throne. A proper place of honor for such an exalted hero. "Do you see that lean and hungry fellow standing beside my seat? He's a loyal, if vain, man. Charismatic. An excellent leader. He imagines himself to be completely loyal to his supreme commander, but I know better. There's a voice in the back of his mind saying, 'We have spent so much effort stopping these earthers." And after that thought is the one that goes, 'I'm sure if _I_ were the one in charge, it could have gone better.' He wants my job, even if he doesn't know it yet. And that's why you're going to be sent back to Earth, completely unharmed. I'll even allow you to stop at Iscandar along the way, so you can pick up the Cosmo DNA to restore your world."

"I don't understand."

"Of the five hundred worlds Gamilon has found as it expanded through the galaxy, yours is the only one that refused to bow before my Empire's might. Every other world chose the sane option and surrendered themselves to our will. Yours is the only one, out of half a thousand, to look the Gamilon Empire in the eye and say, 'No.' And for that defiance, we have spent years bombing your planet, destroying its eco-system utterly, forcing your people to live as moles in the ground. Not because it was necessary to defeat you. I have billions of soldiers at my command. Should I have chosen to invade you the fight would have been over quite quickly. No, what I had to do, still have to do, is _break you._ Break your planet's will, so that your world, and all the worlds of Gamilon who have watched your struggle and perhaps imagined themselves in your place, realize that defiance against the Empire is fruitless. Believe me Captain Wildstar, when the _Yamato_ returns with the Cosmo DNA, but de-gunned, and with a fleet of Gamilon ships escorting her, that _will_ finally force your people to bend your heads to my Empire's greatness."

"I won't let you do that," Wildstar said, the defiance still bright in his eyes.

"You imagine you won't," Desslok corrected. 'You will learn otherwise, I promise you."


End file.
